Circular loom



Dec. 1.4, 1954 c. A. cALDEs 2,696,836

Y CIRCULAR LooM Filed May 9, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l .AAAAAA F I N V EN TOR. Uorzsanz'fze J7. CaZoZes n BY Dec. 14, 1954 c. A. cALDEs 2,696,836

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed May 9, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTR. onsgnne f7. Caldes C. A. CALDES CIRCULAR LOOM Dec. 14, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 9. 1950 C. A. CALDES Dec. 14, 1954 CIRCULAR LOOM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 9, 1950 m. w m m VUnited States Patent() CIRCULAR LOOM Constantine A. Caldes, Jersey City, N. J. Application May 9, 1950, Serial No. 160,848

6 Claims. (Cl. 139-13) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in circular looms and has to do with improving the machine of the type known as the Wardwell Braiders. This type of braider is shown and described in prior U. S. patents of which the following are indicative: Patent No. 1,943,716; 1,968,240; and 2,077,201.

In this type of braiding machine there are rotary driver plates, preferably disposed in nesting relation and rotating in opposite directions. Each driver plate supports spools or bobbins of thread which are spirally wound or braided around the elongate base such as a cord or rope or wire. Up to the present time these driver plates have been driven in opposite directions and consequently the respective threads have been spirally wrapped around the cord in opposite directions. This hasresulted in an eflicient wrapping, but because of the spiral winding of the wrapping on a sort of bias angle, this wrapping has a tendency to stretch when subjected vto longitudinal tension.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a spiral wrapping for an elongate cord which is provided with nonspiral threads woven longitudinally of the cord to reduce or substantially eliminate the tendency to stretch, The resultant article therefore is the same as those produced by former braiding machines except that it has parallel longitudinal threads extending longitudinally of the cord and interwoven with the spirally wrapped threads.

A further object is to produce an improvement in the structure and operation in the former braiding machine to allow for the production of this new product without alriy serious or major alterations in the previous mac ine.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specification hereinafter set forth, especially lwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume and which form part of the specificatons.

In brief and general terms, the invention includes a combination of fixed and rotary driver plates, each of which is provided with a series of spools, or bobbins of thread. The thread of the rotary driver plate is wrapped around the elongate cord to be covered. The threads from the bobbins or spools on the fixed driver plate are to be disposed longitudinally around the elongate cord and to be interwoven with the spirally wound threads. Thread guides are associated with the respective spools of the fixed driver plate to direct the threads at different .1evels, and means are disposed with rotary driver plate :to move said guides whereby said threads from the fixed driver plate may be moved from one positionto another.

The intent and purpose of thus moving the longitudinal threads is to ultimately dispose them above and below their respective spirally wound threads so that, although they are longitudinally disposed along the cord they are interwoven with said spirally wound threads. In this manner there is produced a product in which there are spirally wrapped threads around the core interwoven with a series of longitudinally disposed threads, the longitudinal disposition of which tends to prevent the tendencyof the finished product to stretch. The present form g which the invention may assume is shown in the drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of part of the loom wlth certain portions shown in section;

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Fig. 2 is a somewhat schematic plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the means for moving the guides related to the threads proceeding from the spools on the fixed plate;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of an operating cam on the rotary driver plate;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat schematic view of the means for driving the spools or bobbins on the rotary plate;

Fig. 6 is the perspective view of the resultant product;

Fig. 7 is a detailed side elevation partly in section, illustrating mechanism to operate a plurality of thread guides;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig.

7, looking from the left hand of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of means for operating the thread guides;

Fig 10 is a front elevation-of said improved mechamsm;

Fig. 1l is a front elevation of the improved defiector plate with the operating cam thereon; and,

Fig. l2 is a partial plan View of the apparatus with the improved mechanism thereon.

The invention as shown in the drawings concerns a modification of the well known Wardwell braiding machine and in the present showing the machine comprises nested driver plates 10 and 11. In the ordinary machine, these two plates are mounted on a supporting frame 12 having an upright hollow sleeve 13 up through which extends an elongate core 14 around which the threads are to be braided in a spiral manner. f

In the improved machine however, the lower plate 11 is not connected to a drive mechanism and is stationary with respect to the frame 12 and is associated with said frame and the other plate 10 by means of ball races 15 and 16. On the upper plate 10 are disposed a series of bobbins or spools 17 in the usual manner whose axes point upward and inward toward the top of the machine and a common center at the core 14. On the fixed plate 11 are disposed as usual a plurality of spools 18 whose axes extend upwardly and outwardly and at right angles to the axes of the spools 17.

Since the plate 10 rotates the threads A from its spools are wound spirally around the core 14 but since the spools 18 do not rotate their threads B are laid longitudinally around and along the axis of the core 14. Means to now be described interweave these longitudinal B threads with the spirally disposed threads A. By so doing we get a novel product shown in Fig. 6 in which there is a double core but in which the spiral threads A and the longitudinal threads B are clearly shown in their interwoven relation. This product is a much superior one in that tendency to stretch unduly under longitudinal strain or pull is substantially reduced.

The plate 10 is driven from a power shaft 19 by means of a bevel pinion 20 thereon meshing with a bevel gear 21 connected to a cylindrical sleeve 22 bolted to the bottom of the plate 10. The spools 17 on their bottoms are provided with the usual deflector plates 23 having the usual ribs 24 riding in grooves 25 in a trackway 26 on the fixed plate 11. These plates 23 4are driven in the usual manner by means of the rods 27 which are alternately connected and disconnected from the plates 23 in the usual `manner but one is always in connection with the plate 23. In the customary manner these rods 27 are provided with dependent rollers 28 extending in ,an irregular groove 29 in the fixed plate 11 so as to longitudinally move these'rods 27 alternately back and forth as and for the purpose mentioned.

The threads B on the fixed spools 18 are guided respectively by passing through thread guide elements 30 which are mounted on a pivoted lever or rocker arm 31 connected to the fixed plate 11 and having its inner end extending through an aperture 32 in the fixed plate 11 to lie adjacent the outer surface of the rotary plate 10. On the rotary plate 10 on its outer surface are disposed a number of cam elements 33 which, as the plate rotates, contact the ends of the levers 31 and depress them mo- 'mentarily thus lifting the thread guide 30 and disposing -have the threads disposed just below or just above the pointed edge of the defiector plate 23 as it comes around so that the thread is thus allowed to pass over or under the plate and thus be disposed above or below the corresponding thread coming from the other spools on 'the rotary plates 10. It is to be noted from Fig. 2 that there ista cam element33 disposed between alternatepairs of spools on the rotary plate 10 so that the effect of lifting the threads B .is -to lift them above alternate. threads A thus achieving an interweaving ofthe longitudinal threads B ywith the spirally wound threads A.

In order .to provide means to'move a plurality of guides instead of one for each fixed spool the construction shown in Figs. 7.and 8 is-.providedand comprises a-bracket -frame 34 to which is pivoted the link 35 the outer end of which is adapted to contact thecarn 33 above mentioned. The other end of this'-link rides-'in a. slot 36 in an oscillatable for. rocker arm1 plate 37 pivotally. related to the end of a plate38 on the bracket 34. .Thebracket is provided with upper and lower cross, pieces 39 and 40 t which are apertured to receive sliding rods 41. These `rodsas shown are connected'to rightfangled members 42 and 43, the horizontalarms of which supportand are connected to pairs of the threadguides 44asshown thus moving them up anddown in pairs as and. for the same or similarpurposes'as set forth above.

`Amodified form of the invention is shown Ain Figs. 9 to.12 inclusive, and generally this involvesy the disposition on the face of the deflector plate 23 `ofl a. cam member 45. Of course it will be` remembered that the deffector plate 23 is disposedfat the base of the revolvable bobbins or spools 17 as previously described. Asthese bobbins revolve and thereby movethe deflector plates around, the cam. element45 4thereoncomes incontact at predetermined intervals withan .arm 46.inorde r to vde- '.fiect this arm. This arm is mounted'on a shaft 47 ,housed -in a .bearing casing 48 mounted on Athe frame which supports the fixedbobbins 18. To the other end of this shaft 47, there is centrally connected a rocker arm 49 to the opposite ends of which are connected thread guides 50 which are adapted as shown to be associated with the threads from pairs of` adjacent fixed bobbins 18. By -reason of the. fact thatl the arm.49 is connected to the shaft 47 at a medial point, it is clear that4 when it is rocked by vtheinteraction of arm 46and the cam element 1 4S, one end of it will be moved up, and the other end will be: moved down, thus .Oppositely moving the associated threads. This therefore enables the movement of the rotary drive plate 10 to effect the operationof pairs of thread guides in oppositedirections and presents a 5,;

simplified construction.

While the invention has been. described in detail and shown with respect to the accompanying drawing, it is .not to belimited to such details,- .since many changes and modifications may be made inthe invention without de- ,-3.

parting from the spirit and-scope thereof. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of .the invention which may come within the language and scope of any one or more'of-the appended claims.

I claim: l.` In a circularloom, the combinationY of fixed and ro- -tating driver plates having spools of thread 'thereon,`the ispools on vthe rotatingplate having thread deliector plates associated with the bottoms thereof, a movable thread guide associated with a spool on the fixed plate, a cam element on'the .deectorplatd and means connected to the thread guide to be engaged by said cam element to move the thread guide.

. 2. In a circularl loom,`the combination of fixed and rotating driver plates having lspools of thread'thereon, the j,

spools on the rotating platehaving thread defiector plates associatedwith the bottoms thereof, a movable thread guide associated with a spool on the fixed plate,l a cam Velement on the deflector plate, and means connected to .the thread guide to be engaged by said cam element to move the thread guide, said thread guide comprising a medially pivoted plate associated with the support for the fixed spools and having threadguides at each end, a rotatable shaft supporting said medially pivoted plate, and an arm on said shaft adapted to be engaged by the cam element on the deflector plate to move the thread guldes.

3. In a circular loom, the combination of fixed and rotating driver plates, a cam element on said rotating plate, and means on the fixed plate to move a plurality of thread guides associated therewith comprising a frame having a pivoted element and an oscillatable member connected thereto, one end of said pivoted element adapted to engage said cam element andthe other end adapted to actuate said oscillatable member, and reciprocating means operatively connected to said oscillatable member and supporting said thread guides.

4. In a circular loom, the combination of fixed and rotating driver plates, a cam element on said rotating plate, and means on the fixed plate to move a plurality of thread guides associated therewith comprising a frame having a link and a slotted oscillatable member connected thereto, one end of said link adapted to engage said cam element and the other end being received in said oscillatable member, and a. pair4 of alternately reciprocating means operatively connected to .the oscillatable member, each reciprocating meansl supporting a .plurality of Athread guides.

5. In at circular loom, .the combination of fixed and rotative driver plates having spools of thread supported thereon, the spools on the rotative' plate having thread deflector platesl associatedwith the bottoms thereof, a rocker arm pivotally supported with relation `to said fixed plate and associated with a spool on said fixed plate, a thread guide connected to one end of said rocker arm and adapted to be raised and lowered to positions respectively above and below said defiector plates as said rocker arm isoscillated about its point of pivotal support, a cam element carried by and movable in unisonA with said rotative driver plate and adapted to be moved into and out of cooperative relation to said" arm incident to rotation of said rotative driver plate,*whereby said` guideis raised and lowered with respect to said defiector plate, andmeans for rotating said rotative driver plate.

6. In a circular loom, the combination of fixed and rotative driver plates having spools -of thread supported thereon, the spools on the rotative plate having thread deflector `plates associated with the bottoms thereof, a rocker arm pivotally supported with relation to said fixed plate and associated with a spool on said fixed plate, said rocker arm being disposed in a radial relation to said rotative driver plate and terminating in a cam-engaging end immediately adjacent the perimeter of said rotative plate and having at its opposite end-a thread-guide supporting head, a thread guide pivotally connected to said supporting head and extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to be raised and lowered to positions respectively above and below said deflector plates as said rocker arm is oscillated about its point of pivotal support, a cam element carried by and movable in unison with said rotative driver plate and adapted to be moved into and out of camming engagement with said cam-engaging end ofk said rocker arm incident to rotation of said rotative plate, whereby said guide is raised and lowered with respect to said deflector plate, and means for rotating said rotative driver plate.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 458,471 Lombard 'Aug. 25, 1891 522,742 Schuler 'Iuly 10, 1894 726,116 Thorp Apr. 21, 1903 1,072,984 Petersen Sept. 9, 1913 1,111,806 Robinson Sept. 29, 1914 1,197,692 Wardwell Sept. 12, 1916 1,583,543 Frederickson May 4, 1926 1,610,054 Hopkinson Dec. 7, 1926 1,761,293 Clark June 3,4 1930 1,814,224 Murphy July 14, 1931 1,872,168 lNanfeldt Aug` 16, 1932 1,947,924 Sery Feb. 20, 1934 2,366,291 Rudolph Jan. 2, 1945 2,464,899 Sokol Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 343,838 Italy Oct. 15, 1936 

